Getting to Versailles,and around it

How to come to Versailles? A question many times ask and usually connected with Paris. First, an explanation on geography as I am from Versailles. We are a separate city, in a separate geographical area totally independant of Paris. We are the Capital of the state,province or as we are Department 78 call Yvelines in the west part of Paris. We are the de facto capital of France for any constitutional changes to the French Constitution when the government moves over to our city.

The most direct way to come to us is by car, renting one at CDG airport is the most usual route or Orly can be done too (my favorite way to travel=car) . The site www.viamichelin.com is used very often by locals and travelers alike, just sometimes does not provide the uptimum route. Here are my routes as follows,

From CDG Roissy en France ( department 95, or Val d’Oise northeast of Paris) ; You go out of airport on the N104 or Francilienne road, the signs along the route tells you that you are on the Francilienne or A104, direction Cergy-Pontoise , the entire western section is still getting additions and number changes but the road remains the same, it later changes to the N104 before coming to the N184 by the intersection with the A15 (that can take you into Paris or towards Rouen in Normandy),you stay straight on the road and it carries you onwards to Versailles by boulevard Saint Antoine direction Chateau.

From Orly airport in city of Orly, department 94 or Val de Marne south of Paris, you take from either terminal Ouest /West or Sud/South the road A106 direction Paris,to the A86 exchange direction Sceaux/Antony/Versailles that is get on the right lane and turn around towards the left or west into the A86. Follow this road straight to exit 2 /N186 road Chateau.

From Paris most folks dont do it, so wont go into that, but its very easy indeed as the avenue de Paris that leds to the chateau well well the king name it so because it took him directly between Versailles and Paris its the D10 becomes the D910 and goes into Paris by the Porte Saint Cloud. Lol!

By a good reader suggestion, I forgot my favorite thing to do ,drive a car and find a parking garage. The city has plenty all over, my most useful are these; Parking Sceaux ,this is just after the rive gauche train station on ave Général Charles de Gaulle, intersection with rue Royale turn left and first ramp up to the parking open and metered, try the coins machines along the side road as you come in to the parking instead. Parking avenue de Saint Cloud, very easy at the avenue and corner with ave de l’Europe away from the chateau will be your right hand side, you see the flower market on your right too. Parking place du Marché Notre Dame, at the market right off rue du marechal Foch, a bit tight but very nice and elevators bring up right in the middle of the market ! Parking place Saint Louis, this one is by the Cathedral Saint Louis, the big P and Cathedrale will guide you to it. Its right off place Saint Louis. You have a smaller parking right on Parking ave de l’Europe open air but very convenient to castle and market too. you need to enter thru ave de Saint Cloud turn right on ave de l’Europe and the parking is on your right. Vinci Park already has details on 3 webpage here http://www.vincipark.com/vincipark.nsf/fr/ville/pages/78000.htm#carte tariffs are usually about 1,50 € first hour and a max of 16€ per day. You can park on the street but they have meters and risk of scratches on your car.I use parking garages exclusively all over Europe. The other parking are in the city of Versailles webpage in French but well explained if need help let me know. http://www.versailles.fr/vivre-ma-ville/circuler/stationner/#c335

There is another way by RER/Metro/Bus, this is RER B from CDG to Gare de l’Est train station in Paris, here take line 4 direction porte d’Orléans but stop at Strasbourg-Saint Denis to connect with line 9 direction Pont de Sévres and get off here. Then take bus No 171 right to front of Chateau de Versailles on ave de Paris. One more from CDG is to take RER B to St Michel-Notre Dame station in Paris, and there change to RER C to train station rive gauche in Versailles (the closest to chateau). You can,also, take the Cars Air France or buses from Air France to Montparnasse train station ,this is the line 4 of the buses, there take the train to station Chantiers in Versailles (farthest from Chateau at more than one km) ;come out on the TRI buses to Chateau. Yet another one is to take the Roissybus bus service to Opera metro station in Paris and there connect with line 3 to gare Saint Lazare in Paris to take train to gare/station rive droite in Versailles, then connect with TRI buses to Chateau.

From Orly, take the Cars Air France buses line 1 or 2 to Montparnasse, then train to Chantiers station in Versailles. You can ,also ,take the navette bus from Orly to the gare de Rungis, from here RER C to gare d’Austerlitz, and again the RER C direction Versailles rive gauche station.

From Beauvais-Tillé airport best is to take a taxi to the gare or train station at Beauvais (11 – 15€ update prices please) ,then take the train to the gare du Nord in Paris. There take the RER B to stop ST Michel-Notre Dame, and follow that with the RER C to Versailles rive gauche station.

The tourist TRI bus service in Versailles ,and all other local lines under company Phebus that connects arrival at all 3 Versailles gares or station to the Chateau and Trianons is here http://www.phebus.tm.fr/?q=tourisme first the hours/horaires then the map of route or plan.

If you want to go thru the back of the chateau and feel curious, go to Gare de l’Europe at the corner of ave de Saint Cloud, from chateau to the intersection where you have the Hotel de Ville on your right but turn left into the ave de l’Europe next corner on your left is ave saint cloud the bus stop No 19 there every 30 minutes take it for 1,80 € to stop Arboretum/Parly II , get off walk back down towards Versailles about 200 meters you will see the porte de Saint Antoine, walking is free on the gardens and the Hameau de Marie-Antoniette is right on your right as you enter, then the Trianons one after the other. The schedule for the bus 19 is here http://www.idf.veolia-transport.fr/horaire-ligne-19-mobilien_011

The RER C can be taken at several locations in Paris to go to Versailles in addition to St Michel-Notre Dame, and gare d’Austerlitz, there is Auber, Musée d’Orsay, Invalides, Champ de Mars/tour Eiffel, Pont de l’Alma, Javel,Porte Maillot, Ave Foch, Ave Henri Martin, etc etc. Best to grab a metro/RER map right off the airport on the in terminal tourist offices.

And of course, the city has a lot more than the Chateau, just walk into the districts of Notre Dame (left side facing out the chateau) or Saint Louis (right side facing out the chateau) or go up ave de Paris into the district of Montreuil and see the mansions of the court (they want it some privacy away from the bustle of the castle so build away) here is Madame Elizabeth (sister of louis XVI who ended in the same faith as his brother) and Madame de Provence (the sister in law who made thru the revolution) and others. IF tired use the Phebus local bus system is very good and easy to use. the link is above for the TRI tourist buses but the local is here too ,have in search for an itinerary (in French of course) the ones my family use daily , http://www.phebus.tm.fr/?q=itineraire-horaire

Hope it helps your travels, of course its impossible to cover all the angles so if any questions remains feel free to contact me here. Cheers!